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Ohio State football coach John Cooper is carried across the field after the Buckeyes defeated Michigan 22-6, on Nov. 19, 1994, in Columbus. It was the first time Cooper's OSU teams had defeated Michigan and the first victory over Michigan in Ohio Stadium since 1984.
(AP)

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 19 - As they waded through the revelers littering the playing surface and attacking the Ohio Stadium goalposts, the unfamiliar sweetness of a victory over Michigan began to settle upon the Ohio State Buckeyes.

It had pride pumping in their chests and pleasure in full flower on their faces.

It also had pain throbbing in the right hand of OSU head coach John Cooper.

Years from now, when time has fermented the Buckeyes' 22-6 victory and distilled it into a single memory, Cooper's halftime haymaker at his locker room blackboard might outlive anything that transpired in the old horseshoe.

"That got a real spark under us," offensive tackle Korey Stringer said. "Coach Cooper came in, and he was as excited as I've ever seen him. He was so fired up, the next thing you know, he hauled off and knocked the blackboard out. He put a good dent in it, too."

That move, as out of character for the mild-mannered Cooper as the victory was to his previous 0-5-1 record as OSU coach against the Wolverines, lent further urgency to Ohio State's first victory in the series since 1987.

"That really showed us how much he wanted to pull out the victory," OSU tailback Eddie George said. "He's usually laid back and calm. He's not usually into emotional speeches, but that definitely pumped us up."

A bandage on Cooper's index finger provided the only hint of his actions until long after he had departed his post-game news conference to celebrate unquestionably his biggest victory in seven years at OSU.

"This one ranks right at the top," Cooper said after accepting a Citrus Bowl berth for the Buckeyes opposite Florida or Alabama on Jan.2 in Orlando, Fla. "Today, it ranks No.1," Cooper said, ranking the victory ahead of his Rose Bowl triumph over Michigan while coaching Arizona State.

Until yesterday, Cooper's only victory over the Wolverines had been that New Year's Day triumph in Pasadena, Calif., in his second of three seasons at Arizona State.

But now, at 9-3 overall and second in the Big Ten at 6-2, he is a much stronger candidate to obtain a contract extension from Ohio State's administration because the Michigan drought has been broken.

"I don't look at it like I beat Michigan," Cooper said. "Just like in past years, I didn't really feel like I had lost to Michigan. Our football team beat Michigan today. This football program beat Michigan, and it was an outstanding Michigan team."

Ohio State's defense and special teams delivered the necessary elements to position the Buckeyes for 19 of their 22 points.

"This was a defensive struggle," OSU quarterback Bob Hoying said. "Our defense did a good job getting us the ball in good field position, and a couple of times we were able to take advantage of it."

Scott Terna's first-quarter punt pushed the Wolverines to their 1-yard line, where quarterback Todd Collins stumbled retreating from center for a safety and a 2-0 OSU lead.

A 40-yard drive for a touchdown off the subsequent free kick provided a 9-0 lead, but that would not have happened without George's 6-yard run on fourth-and-1 from the Michigan 31.

Another fourth-down conversion, this time a Hoying pass to Joey Galloway at the Wolverines' 29, fed a 64-yard drive to Josh Jackson's 26-yard field goal and a 12-0 margin six minutes before the half.

Michigan reduced the deficit to 12-6 on two 22-yard Remy Hamilton field goals, and was threatening a further advance on the lead when OSU's special teams arose again.

"We needed somebody to make plays," Cooper said. "When Marlon Kerner_ came off the corner and blocked the field goal, it was a big, big momentum play for us."

Only two snaps earlier, Michigan wide receiver Amani Toomer had beaten Kerner badly to break free in the end zone, but Collins' pass led Toomer out of bounds.

"I dodged a bullet there," Kerner said, "so I knew I had to do something to make it up."

He did so by sweeping in to smother Hamilton's kick, delayed by a high snap, and send the ball bouncing toward midfield.

"The guy just didn't touch me," Kerner said. "There was a lane there for me to come underneath. I stretched out as far as I could, and the ball hit me in the chest."

His next pass glanced off noseguard Luke Fickell's extended arm and hung lazily for him to intercept at the Michigan 16.

"It's something you dream about every day," Fickell said. "You visualize yourself making a play like that. I really didn't have much of a pass rush. I just stuck my hand up like we're taught to do every day, and the ball hit me pretty square."

George took five carries to convert the turnover into a touchdown and give the 93,869 in attendance an eight-minute head start on their post-game revelry.

"We just had too many leaks in every phase of the game," said Michigan coach Gary Moeller, headed for the Holiday Bowl at 7-4, 5-3 in the Big Ten. "I don't know why we didn't do well. ... We seemed to mess up so often, and then it began to snowball."

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